TiHAN-IIT: Testbed for Autonomous Navigation Systems

• 31 Dec 2020

Why in News

The foundation stone of ‘TiHAN-IIT Hyderabad’, India’s first Testbed for Autonomous Navigation Systems (Terrestrial and Aerial) has been laid recently.

Key Points

• Background:
  
  • The Department of Science and Technology (DST) had sanctioned Rs. 135 crores to IIT Hyderabad (IIT-H) under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) to set up a Technology Innovation Hub on Autonomous Navigation and Data Acquisition Systems (UAVs, RoVs, etc.)
  • The Technology Innovation Hub for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Remotely Operated Vehicles (RoVs) at IIT Hyderabad, known as 'TiHAN Foundation' was incorporated as a Section-8 company by the institute in June 2020.
    
    • It is a multi-departmental initiative including researchers from electrical, computer science, mechanical and aerospace, civil, mathematics, and design at IIT-H with collaboration and support from reputed institutions and industry.
    • It is a great step towards ‘Atmanibhar Bharat’, ‘Skill India’ and ‘Digital India’.
• TiHAN-IIT:
  
  • It will facilitate research grounds to investigate the functioning of unmanned and connected vehicles in a controlled environment by replicating different scenarios, ranging from frequently occurring to extreme cases that may ensue in real-life traffic operations.
  • At present, there is no such testbed facility in India to evaluate the autonomous navigation of vehicles. Therefore, it is envisioned to address this gap by developing a fully functional and exemplary testbed facility dedicated to connected autonomous vehicles (CAVs).
    
    • Connected vehicles use technology to either communicate with each other, connect with traffic signals, signs, and other road items, or obtain data from a cloud. This information exchange helps with safety and improves traffic flow.
  • This hub focuses on addressing various challenges hindering the real-time adoption of unmanned autonomous vehicles for both terrestrial and aerial applications.
  • Primary focus includes:
    
    • Research & Technology development in the area of Autonomous Navigation and Data Acquisition Systems (UAVs, RoVs).
    • Industry Collaborations :
      
      • Joint R&D Initiatives, Consultancy, Technology Outreach Schemes, Training of Industry Personnel, Continuing Education.
    • Human resource & Skill development.
    • Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Start-up Ecosystem:
      
      • Start-ups and Incubation in the Technology Vertical, Attracting Private Funding (Corporate Social Responsibility, Voluntary Contributions and equity based), Technology Commercialization.
    • International Collaborations :
      
      • Academia & Industry, Faculty/Student Exchange Programs.
• Features of TiHAN-IIT:
  
  • Total Area:
    
    • 2 Acres of land has already been allocated in the IIT Hyderabad campus and the facilities are planned in phases.
  • Facilities:
    
    • Test Tracks, Emulation of Real-World Scenarios, State of the Art Simulation Technologies, Road Infrastructure, Drone Runways and Landing Area, Mechanical Integration Facility, Centralized Control Room/Ground Control Station, Smart Poles etc.
  • Promotion to research:
    
    • The developed test bed will be available for use by all the industries, R&D labs, academia conducting research and development in the broad areas of autonomous navigation.

National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems

• The NM-ICPS is a comprehensive Mission aimed at complete convergence with all stakeholders by establishing strong linkages between academia, industry, Government and International Organizations. The Mission will work with all the concerned Ministries/Departments to identify their technology needs, develop solutions and technical support in CPS implementation.
• It will secure India's future by creation of a Cyber-Physical System ecosystem.
  
  • Cyber-Physical System (CPS) combines digital/cyber elements with physical objects (e.g. machines, autonomous vehicles) and data with capabilities of communication, data collection & processing, computing, decision making and action.
  • CPS is an integrated system involving Sensors, Communication, Actuators, Control, interconnected computing networks and data analytics.
  • Few Potential applications: Driverless cars that communicate securely with each other on smart roads, Sensors in the home to detect changing health conditions, etc.
• The Mission has four major activities:
  
  • Technology Development,
  • Human Resource & Skill Development,
  • Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Start-Up Ecosystem and
  • International Collaborations.

Source:PIB